Team Expansion
by badly-knitted
Summary: As he waits to welcome Andy to the team, Jack muses on how quickly the process of expanding the team is progressing. Written For: Prompt 24: Expansion at anythingdrabble. This is the extended version of the 500-word ficlet I posted to the community. Follows 'Welcome To The Batcave'.


**Title:** Team Expansion – Follows 'Welcome To The Bat Cave'

 **Author:** badly-knitted

 **Characters:** Jack, Team, PC Andy, Ianto.

 **Rating:** PG

 **Spoilers:** A small nod to 'Stolen Earth/Journey's End'.

 **Summary:** As he waits to welcome Andy to the team, Jack muses on how quickly the process of expanding the team is progressing.

 **Word Count:** 860

 **Content Notes:** None necessary.

 **Written For:** Prompt 23: Cave at anythingdrabble.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood, or the characters.

 **A/N:** This is the extended version of the 500-word ficlet I posted to the community.

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 **sandysan2013:** Of course not, how could you think otherwise? *grins*

Thank you!

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 **DottyWho:** Thank you!

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OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

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Jack was more than a little surprised. He and Ianto had only begun discussing the team's necessary expansion the previous afternoon, and yet here he was, less than twenty-four hours later, getting ready to welcome ex-PC Andy Davidson, their first new recruit in several years. He honestly hadn't expected it to be so easy. When he'd announced his intentions yesterday to the rest of the team, they'd taken it a lot better than he'd thought they would, with Owen declaring, "It's about bloody time," and the girls nodding agreement. It made him think he probably should have done something weeks ago, he'd simply been reluctant to tamper with something that had been working so smoothly. What was that old adage? Oh yeah, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

A few weeks ago, they hadn't been broken, they'd been like an efficient, well-oiled machine, but then the Rift had slipped into an overactive phase the likes of which not even Jack, in over a century with Torchwood Three, had experienced before. It was most likely a delayed reaction to the earth being dragged out of orbit and put back again a few months previously, but there was no way of knowing when, or even if, it would settle down again. The disruption could well last for months, years, or even decades, and it had reached the point where the five of them were struggling in vain to cope with an ever-increasing workload. When a band of heavily armed aliens had attempted to invade earth a couple of days ago and everyone had wound up injured in one way or another, it had been the last straw, and Jack had finally been forced to face up to just how broken his little band were.

Now the five-person team had been increased to six, and by tomorrow, they should be up to seven. Jack had managed to reach Mickey Smith by phone just this morning, and had been a bit taken aback by how eager he had been to accept the offer of a permanent job. It seemed he hadn't been having an easy time finding work since returning from an alternate universe and had been living hand to mouth, doing odd jobs for cash. Jack had wired him enough money for a train ticket and anything else he needed, and Ianto had cheerfully offered up his guest room as lodgings. No doubt once Mickey found his feet in Cardiff he'd want to look for a place of his own, but he'd have somewhere comfortable to live until then.

Two new recruits were a good start, but Jack had spoken to Lizzie yesterday over the secure phone line to Buckingham Palace, explained the situation, and been assured of sufficient funding to double the size of the team, and even triple it if that proved necessary over the coming months. After all, they were doing an important job, and national security was often at stake. It meant he could add three more team members right away, another medic and two additional field agents, and he already had people in mind for two of those positions, just had to get in touch with them and see if they were interested. He'd contact Martha in a bit, broach the subject with her and see if she was ready to leave the regimented life of a UNIT officer for a more relaxed and informal working environment. Then, in a few days, if she agreed and once Andy and Mickey had settled in, perhaps he and Ianto could go and have a chat with young PC Evans, ask him if he'd consider quitting the police for a life full of danger and adventure. If luck was on their side, that would leave them with only one spot left to fill; he'd need to call a team meeting and gather a few suggestions. For the moment though, their first new recruit took priority.

Ianto appeared from the lower levels, where he'd been showing the former police constable around the archives and introducing him to the permanent and temporary residents. Andy looked a little dazed, but otherwise undaunted, walking steadily alongside Torchwood's GSO, and from the expression on Ianto's face, he was pleased with how well the other man was taking everything that was being thrown at him. Of course, he'd encountered Weevils before, back when Gray had bombed Cardiff, and both Jack and Ianto had long suspected that Retconning Davidson hadn't been as effective as it might have been; he'd seen too much, too often, for the amnesia drug to hold for long, and yet as far as they could tell, he'd kept what he'd seen and what he suspected to himself. If they were correct in their assumptions, then that was another point in Andy's favour; they could find out for certain later, when Jack had a long chat with the newbie.

Meanwhile, he watched Ianto and Andy approach, and was waiting outside his office by the time they'd crossed the Hub. Smiling his usual thousand-watt smile, he held out his hand to the new recruit. "Welcome to Torchwood Three, Andy Davidson. Good to have you aboard."

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The End


End file.
